Racial Discrimination Is Always Wrong

March 18, 2014

Earlier this year, the California State Senate passed SCA 5, which has been correctly dubbed "Skin Color Act 5". It's clear that the goal of this law is to cap Asian enrollment at California's universities.

Supporters of SCA 5 have complained that Asians are "over-represented" at California's universities. They point out that Asians make up 36% of UC admissions while only being 15% of the population. But why is this even considered a problem? That is, what kind of person must you be to look at a college student who happens to be Asian and got good grades, and to say to that student, "You know, I don't like your skin color, so I wish you didn't get into this university. I wish your slot were given away to someone else who didn't do as well." What kind of person must you be to even think that way?

Now I would think that the academic achievement of California's Asian minority, who got there solely based on merit, would be a success story worth celebrating. Last I checked, Asians should still be counted as a racial minority. And the fact that they represent over a third of UC admissions is the very definition of diversity. Let's not forget that affirmative action was only supposed to be used to balance out the advantages enjoyed by a white majority. It was never intended to be used against a racial minority who happened to achieve too much.

Martin Luther King Jr. said he had a dream that one day his kids would live in a nation where they aren't judged by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character. But if SCA 5 becomes law, we're going back to judging people based on their skin color. I think Chief Justice John Roberts said it best when he said, "They way to stop discrimination on the basis of race is to stop discriminating on the basis of race."

It's clear that the supporters of SCA 5 are not only wrong, they are also on the wrong side of history. They don't need to be worked with. They need to be stopped. Attacks on California's Asian minority, which is only 15% of the population, should not be tolerated. Racial discrimination is always wrong, and I believe the people of California will stand with us.